2021 Lada Niva Legend | Spotted
Air con, electric windows and even heated seats. Since when has Lada been so fancy?
You could spend your entire life savings on all the cars you had posters of on your bedroom wall as a child and still find yourself wanting something cheap and cheerful to run about in. Admittedly, I only came to this realisation last year, when last-minute car troubles meant I had to take Ben’s old Dacia Duster long termer some 300-odd miles down to Le Mans. It was comfortable, surprisingly quiet and sipped at fuel like a baby hummingbird. No surprise in a modern car, perhaps - but the real joy came through barrelling through the muddy campsite car park without a care in the world.
Few cars offer this level of ‘who cares?’ appeal than a Dacia. They may not have the latest and greatest tech, and more often than not they’re built on platforms that already have a few years under their belt - but this all helps to keep costs low and the asking price small. Of course, it's not a new trick: in some markets, manufacturers will continue production lines for decades to keep car ownership affordable for the masses. For example, the VW Beetle had a mighty 65 years in production, while the original Mini saw little change over its 62-year run. However, the Lada Niva could overtake them all at this rate, with 47 years of production under its belt and counting.
Believe it or not, the car we have here left the Lada factory just three years ago and has impressively covered 25,000 miles since then. It’s easy to giggle at a car that’s spent nearly five decades trying not to change too much, but the whole point of the Niva is its no-nonsense approach to motoring. It’s just as at home darting around the streets of Saint Petersburg as it is trudging though the countryside in the depths of Siberia, and were ever to play up there’s a good chance you could get it up and running by hitting it with a hammer. In my head at least.
Despite its dinky sink, the Niva has always been offered exclusively with all-wheel drive, which over the years has been paired with all sorts of four-cylinder engines. This example packs a 1.7-litre naturally aspirated motor with 83hp and 95lb ft of torque, which can get you from 0-62mph, it just takes nearly 20 seconds to do it. It's a capable little off-roader though, with permanent 4WD and the ability to lock the centre differential. Decent ground clearance and coil springs all round (with independent suspension up front, too) means there aren’t many obstacles the plucky Niva can’t overcome.
It isn't totally utilitarian, either. This 2021 car has power steering, a radio, electric and air conditioning. It’s even got heated seats, plus a spare wheel sitting right next to the engine. And, well, that’s about it. It looks to be in fine order, though, with immaculate steel wheels that, according to the seller, come wrapped in fresh tyres.
Nivas are no longer officially sold here and, as the ad says, current events mean it is unlikely that new examples will be imported any time soon. You’ll need £14,990 to get your hands on this one, and while that’s still cheaper than anything Dacia has to offer - especially an all-wheel drive Duster - we’re far from Shed territory here. On the plus side, the Niva should be relatively cheap to run (it’s ULEZ compliant as well) and it’s unlikely you’ll need a Lada specialist to keep it in good working order. Above all, it’s a fun, left-field choice over the equivalent Dacia or a Suzuki Jimmy, and is sure to score major kudos points at a PH Sunday Service - especially if it’s at the Classic British Welcome at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans…
SPECIFICATION | LADA NIVA LEGEND
Engine: 1,690cc four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 80@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 95@4,000rpm
MPG: 28.5
CO2: 241-248g/km
Year registered: 2021
Recorded mileage: 25,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £14,990
Howmanyleft, the font of allegedly inaccurate vehicle numbers, reckons there were 10 imported between 2021 and 2023.
It would go anywhere off road and mechanically was very robust, the toolkit was a thing of awe enabling Ivan to field strip the engine on the steppes, starting handle and stirrup tyre pump included.
Given the price bracket the competition was an old series Land Rover (not the current garage queen collectible but Dai the farmer's old shed) it was competitive price wise. Fourtraks and Shoguns were in a different price bracket and Suzukis were too small. The main drawback was that the 1600 soviet engine was not powerful enough to reliably pull a horsebox.
Nice looking but best kept to the memory at that price though
Howmanyleft, the font of allegedly inaccurate vehicle numbers, reckons there were 10 imported between 2021 and 2023.
a neighbour had an E reg Niva .
Coming out of our street I ran into the back of the lada , I gave him £250 as the lada was a mess my Mk4 needed a headlight & new bonnet . The neighbour went and bought an F reg Niva estate with the £250. I was only 20ish and my diesel Escort cost £500 to put right .
At the end of the day with this Niva been a lada I wouldn't want.it if it was free the brand was hateful in the 80S &.90s theirs a reason why they were stopped from been sold in the UK because they were just crap and also couldn't pass emissions & someone wants £15grand for a posh lada , if it's been sold as a car with no previous owners well how come it's done 25,000 miles ?
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